Permanent and temporary letter-file



(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 1.

G. M. PATTEN. PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY LETTER FILE. No. 325,625. PatentedSept. 1, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .G. M. PATTEN.

PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY LET TEE FILE. No. 325,625. Patented Sept. 1,1885.

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5 FFIQEQ UNITED STATES PATENT GEORGE M. PATTEX, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWVJERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLIAM A. AMBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,625, datedSeptember 1, 1885. Application filed March 10, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: the back plate, a, of the holder, and withBe it known that I, GEORGE M. PATTEN, reledges or projections e, whichprevent the filesiding at Jersey City, in the county of End holder frombeing pulled out. As shown,this son and State of New Jersey, and acitizen of opening in the back is also provided with a the UnitedStates, have invented certainnew slot or recess, f, for receiving thehinges or and useful Improvements in Permanent and eyes at the back ofthe index-sheets, so as to Temporary Letter Files, of which thefollowpermit the index-sheets to come flush against ing is a fulldescription, reference being bad the back B. If, however, it is notdesired to to the accompanying drawings, in whichhave the index-sheetscome flush with the 60 1 Figure l is a perspective view with the inback,or if it is desired to make the eyes de-X partly completed; Fig. 2,apartial section through the body of the index-sheets and the on line asa; of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a front view of cover when used, then the groove dmaybe the index-holder; Fig.4, a side view thereof; placed fartherinward, so as to leave the part Fig. 5, a crossscction on line at :r' ofFig. 4; or rod Z) of the holder outside of the back 13, 6 I Fig. 6, amodification adapting the indexin either of which cases the groove f maybe holder for use in a temporary file; Fig. 7,crossomitted, and in thisconstruct-ion the groove section on line y 3 of Fig. 6; Figs. 8 and 9,will simply consist of the opening or passage perspective views of theremovable ledges; (Z and the ledges or shoulders c. When con- Figs. 10,11, 12, and 13, sect-ions of indexstructed in this form, it will beunderstood I sheets, showing various methods of attaching that theholder, with its connected sheets, can the loop or eye at their backs,for connecting only be lifted vertically from the tile, which is themwith the indexholder; Fig. 14, a persufficient in all permanent files.In tempospective view of anindex-holder made wholly rary files, theirconstruction in many cases of wire. is such that a top piece or hingesor springs The object of this invention is to provide a project over orinto the box. W'hen a term file with an improved holder, by means ofporary file having such attachments is used, which the indexsheets,either alone or with the index-sheets, either by themselves or withtheir contents, may be readily placed in positheir contents, must bewithdrawn horizontion or withdrawn without separating the tally, and inorder to accomplish this and 0 sheets or disturbing the containedmatter,and adapt my holder to use in files of this conto adapt suchdevice for use in either permastruction, I make the retaining-ledges ofthe nent or temporary files; and its nature conholder removable, and todo this I construct sists in the parts and combinations of parts them asshown in Figs. 8 and 9, and when this hereinaftcrdescribed and claimedas new. device is used the opening in the back B is 8 In the drawings, Aindicates the file; 13, made without ledges, and with side grooves itsback, C, an index-cover, D, the expansiin the same location, as shown inFig. 7. ble index-sheets; E e, the removable ledge; WVhen the removableledges c are inserted, a b, index-holder; c, holding-notch for the endthe original groove in the back is restored, of the partb; d, groove inthe back of the file and the removableledges c holdthe back plate 99 0for the part a of the holder; 6, retaining of the holder at in position,in thesamemanledges or projections; f, opening in the back ner as theledges or shoulders 0 hold them, for the eyes or other fastenings of theindexand when made in this manner the holder is sheets; 5/,fastcningeycs; h, metal, paper, or inserted horizontally and theremovable cloth fasteners for thccyes g, and ipoints for ledges einserted from the top. The box is 5 fastening shcctmetal eyes or tags tothe inthen complete, or ready for use. By withdrawdeX-sheets. ing theledges the index-sheets, either alone The box A may be made as shown, orin or with their contained matter, can be withany other form suitablefor use, either as a drawn horizontally, or from under any r permanentor temporary file, and its back 13 jections which may be attached forother pur- 1 g is provided with a groove or opening, d, as poses to theback 13, or to the sides of the shown in Fig. 2, which is adapted toreceive case A.

WVhen the removableledges are constructed in the form shown at Fig. 8,then the capplate which covers the opening gives the file a finishedappearance. When made of a single piece of sheet metal and bent as shownin Fig. 9, a small portion of the opening in the back will remainuncovered, the form shown in Fig. 9 being the cheapest form.

The lower end of the back plate, a,is rounded. more or less to insureits easy insertion,and the removable ledges e are also rounded more orless at their lower ends for the same purpose. The eyes 9 for attachingthe indexsheets may be made of narrow tape and attached with cloth, asshown in Fig. 12. They may be made of wire and attached with cloth ormetal, as shown at Figs. 11 and 13, or they may be made in the body ofthe sheet metal, as shown at Fig. 10.

The index-sheets are provided with steps or tags containing the lettersof the alphabet or of some divisions thereof. of dates or numbers, orofsuch other indicator of matter to be filed between the sheets as may bedesired. The device, as a whole, is designed to be used in the system ofopen or flat filing by placing the matter between the sheets in itsproper space in connection with the proper indexletter or other mark.

The index-holder a b is ordinarily made by attaching the wire I) to astrip of tin or other sheet metal, a, and the wire maybe longer than thetin, as shown, and it maybe soldered or otherwise attached to it, or thewings may be made of the wire itself. The upper end is preferably madedetachable, and when so made is held by the notch c, which is mostconveniently made by bending over the top of the plate,as shown. The rodmay be so bent at the back that the extremities will form wings, and yetpermit the eyes or loops of theindextags to be passed over them intotheir proper places on the rod, which is suflicient in some cases.

The rod b is made of stifl or spring wire,so that it will spring outwhen released from the catch and hold itself in place within the catch,and it is not essential that the plate a be made of a continuous stripor piece, as the essential feature is that it have one or more wings tohold it within the recess (2.

The cheapest and simplest form of using this holder is to apply it at ornear the middle of the back B-, with a corresponding location of theattaching part of the index; but when properly constructed two or moremay be used in the same file-case.

By the use of this device the index-sheets and cover, when used,arereadily attached,and are expansible, and when the required extent orscope of a series of index-sheets cannot be predetermined-as is the casewith dated, numerical, and other indexesI can at any time readily addadditional leaves to or remove the unused ones from the top by simplywithdrawing the holder from its recess sufficiently to disengage the rodb, and restore theholder to its former position without danger ofdisarranging the filed-papers.

The same index, with its holder, may be used in either a temporary orpermanent file or transfer-case, or be readily transferred from one tothe other,without separating the sheets or detaching the holder fromthem.

The index-sheet holder is used for holding sheets for shipment as wellas for use in a case.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A detachable index-sheet holder having the fiat or wing back a a androd 12, in combination with a series of expansible index-sheets movablethereon, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the winged detachable holder a b with thefile-back B, having the groove (Z, and ledges or shoulders 6,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the winged holder at b with the case A B, andremovable ledges or shoulders, substantially as specified.

4. The holder formed of the fiat or wing back a a,- adapted to beinserted in the shouldered groove in the case B, and provided with thewire red I), secured to or forming a part thereof, adapted to beinserted in the eyes or loops 9 of the index-sheets, substantially asand for the purpose described.

GEORGE M. PATTEN.

WVitnesses J NO. H. AMBERG, OHAs. S. CHAMBERS.

